The present invention relates generally to illumination devices and, in particular, to a utility light with four twin fluorescent lamp assemblies.
Portable lights, that can be manually moved and suspended about a work site to aid a user to obtain the best lighting conditions, are well known. Such lights are often referred to as trouble lamps, extension lights, work lights, inspection lights, utility lights, and the like, and are commonly employed by mechanics and other workers who require a concentration of light while frequently changing locations. Such lights have developed from using incandescent bulbs to using fluorescent bulbs. The fluorescent bulbs have several advantages in use as compared with the incandescent bulbs. For example, a fluorescent light bulb usually provides more light with less glare than an incandescent light bulb of the same wattage.
Many prior art utility lights are designed to be handheld, which is advantageous in that they may be easily moved to many locations. While their portability and light weight is advantageous, handheld lights are often limited in the amount of illumination that they can provide because the larger bulbs, support assemblies and power supply components required to provide more illumination increase the weight and would make the handheld light more difficult to hold and orient.
There are occasions when a utility light that produces a greater amount of illumination than a typical handheld light is preferred. Prior art utility lights of this type, however, typically utilize halogen bulbs and are large in size, produce a great amount of heat, and are less portable than a typical handheld light. The amount of heat produced by these halogen lights disadvantageously limits their use to outdoor use only, which those skilled in the art will appreciate is a significant limitation. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that though a greater amount of illumination is preferred at times, the same amount of illumination is not in required for every work location.
It is desirable to provide a utility light that can be used indoors and that produces a greater amount of illumination than conventional utility lights without generating an undesirable amount of heat. It is desirable to provide such a utility light while still providing a degree of portability. It is also desirable to provide a utility light that is able to vary the amount of illumination it provides and that may be produced in a cost-effective manner.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a portable utility light that produces a greater amount of illumination than standard utility lights without generating an undesirable amount of heat, and that can vary the amount of illumination that it provides.
The present invention concerns a quadruple lamp utility light having a housing pivotally mounted on a stand for rotation about a horizontal axis. Once positioned, the housing can be locked against further rotation relative to the stand. The stand functions as a base to support the utility light in a freestanding position and functions as a mounting bracket for attaching to a surface. The utility light stand also has a hook for hanging the utility light permitting rotation about a vertical axis. The hook is movable to a stored position on the stand when not in use.
The housing encloses four fluorescent twin lamp assemblies that can be switched on and off in pairs to vary the amount of illumination generated. Cooling of the interior of the housing is provided by upper and lower sets of slots formed in the rear of the housing and in a lens at the front of the housing.
The utility light according to the present invention includes: a housing having a hollow interior and a lens opening closed by a transparent lens; a stand pivotally attached to the housing, the housing being rotatable about a first axis of rotation relative to the stand for orienting the lens; a locking means on the housing for selectively engaging the stand to prevent rotation of the housing relative to the stand; and a hook mounted on the stand for movement between a stored position and an in-use position, the housing being rotatable about a second axis of rotation relative to the hook when the hook is in the in-use position for supporting the housing and orienting the lens. The stand includes a bar having an upstanding leg at each end thereof and the hook is positioned between the bar and the housing in the stored position. The utility light includes a pair of feet attached to the bar adjacent associated ones of the legs, the bar and the feet cooperating to support the housing freestanding on a generally horizontal surface. At least one aperture is formed in the stand for attaching the stand and the housing to a support surface with a fastener.
The locking means includes a pair of threaded studs extending from opposite sides of the housing defining the first axis of rotation, the studs extending through the stand, and a pair of knobs threadably engaging free ends of the studs, whereby when the knobs are tightened on the studs, the stand is forced against the housing to prevent rotation of the housing about the first axis of rotation. A first plurality of cooling slots are formed in the lens adjacent a bottom edge of the lens and a second plurality of cooling slots are formed in the lens adjacent a top edge of the lens. Similarly, a first plurality of cooling slots are formed in a bottom portion of the housing and a second plurality of cooling slots are formed in the housing adjacent a top edge of the housing.
The utility light includes at least one lamp assembly mounted in the housing adjacent the lens and at least one support post extending from a rear interior surface of the housing and having a free end engaging the at least one lamp assembly. A lamp cushion is mounted on the free end of the at least one support post in contact with the at least one lamp assembly. At least another support post extending from an interior surface of the lens and has a free end engaging the at least one lamp assembly and another lamp cushion mounted on the free end of the another support post in contact with the at least one lamp assembly.